I’ve spent far too much time being greedy, wanting my way, putting others down, defending myself or my opinion without enough regard for what really matters in life.

“The great use of one’s life,” wrote William James, “is to spend it on something that will outlast it. For the value of life is computed, not by its duration but by its donation.” 1

A legacy is our donation to the world. It’s what we leave as an inheritance. It’s our deposit in the lives of everyone we meet.

“Legacy is defined as something transmitted by or received from another who has preceded us in this life … A legacy is an eternally significant investment of one’s life in the lives of others. Legacy allows each of us to “outlive our life…”, wrote Daniel Henderson. 2

A couple hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin challenged his reader a challenge that stands the test of time: “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” 3